Reducing noise and wear begins with understanding why they occur
2026-02-25
The results from our research project show what intelligent rail head lubrication can achieve in practice. In order to turn observed effects into robust, transferable solutions, we need a deeper understanding of the mechanisms behind wear and noise in the wheel-rail system.
For this reason, a special literature study on wear mechanisms was an integral part of the intelligent rail head lubrication research project. The study summarises the current state of scientific knowledge on the following topics:
Rail waviness and slip waves
Wheel polygonisation
Friction-induced vibrations and resonances
The role of lubrication in various operating scenarios
A key finding: Waviness and polygonal wear do not have a single cause. They arise from the interaction of vehicle, track, operation and friction. This has direct implications for operators: measures that work in one context may have unintended consequences in another.
Targeted, data-driven lubrication must therefore be combined with an understanding at the system level.
The results of the literature study help to place rail head lubrication in a broader context and form an important bridge between research results and future application and scaling.
